Combined jump-spark and contact-spark device.



PATENIED- DEC. a1, 1907 0. RHGREUTEK I COMBINED JUMP SPARK AND CONTACT SPARK DEVICE. v

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5,:906

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CHARLES R. ensures, or WILKES-BARBIE,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO MATI-IESON MOTOR OAR COMPANY, OF WILKES-BARBIE, PENNSYLVANIA, A OORPORATIQ Nj COMBINED- IUMP-SPARK AND CONTAGT-SPARK DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 5. recs. Serial no. 320,324.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES R. GREUT'ER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilkes-Barre, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and us'eful Improvements-in Combined Jump-dpark and Contact-Spark Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electric igniters for internal combustion encombined contact-spark and jump-spark device which may be used either singly or com- It is well known that the'ignition of the explosive mixture in internal combustion engines frequently gives much trouble from no readily apparent cause, and the larger the engine and the greater the number of cylinders operating on the same cranh-shaft, the greater is the effect of the skipping of the spark. It not infrequently happens in multiple cylinder machines that some one cylinder alone will give trouble in this respect, the charges in the others igniting in proper sequence.

By means of this invention means are pro vided whereby it the ignition is imperfect in using the contact-spark, the jump-spark may be switched in in place thereof", or vice. versa; or, in case the explosive is of low grade, it is possible to switch on both the contact and jump-sparks, one being operated an instant in advance of the other preterably.

In carrying out my invention, I ground one terminal of the jump-sparl and one electrode of the contact-spark, and insulate the other terminal of the jump-spark on the plug which constitutes also the second terminal of the contact-spark. One plug therefore serves for bot-h systems. The wiring from the battery to the plug for each system will be described in its proper place.

The drawing accompanying this application consists of a sectional view of a portion of the wall of a cylinder, showing sparking electrodes, and a diagrammatic view of the electrical connections and appliances associated with the latter.

Referring to these drawings, (1 indicates a 5 ortion of the cylinder of an internal com I ustion engine; 7) indicates the spark-plug; c i

the electrode, and (Z a cam mounted on a shaft 6 to periodically trip the electrode.

Iatented Dec. 3l, 1907.

whereby contact ayjbe madeand broken with the spark-plug, In the diagrammatic view the cam'd is illustrated as having a spiral splined connection d with the shaft e and provided with a grooved hub portion 0i adapted to be engaged by an adjustin element (1? which constitute means for adjusting the position of the cam d axially for ef-' fecting a variation in the time of sparking, but as these particular means .for accomplishing this result formno part ofthe present application, they are simply indicated in the diagrammatic view forillustrative purposes. The electrode is moved into contact with the plug by theaction of any suitable spring, asf. The spark-plug b is insulated from the cylinder in the usual manner, said insulation being indicated by gin the drawing.

it indicates a battery or suitable source of electricity, and i indicates an electrical connection connecting one pole of said battery with the cylinder of the motor or with some other part of the machine on which the cyl inder is mounted. l i

.From the opposite side of the battery or source of electricity, ,a line j runs to a threeway switch. in the latter comprising the switch-lever m the functions of which will be described further on, sufiice it to say that from this switch two circuits run to the spark-plug 12. One. of these circuits cornprises the line n and the spark-coil 0. The other circuit comprises the line-wire p, an interrupter consisting of a pivoted lever q, and a cam 7 whereby the circuit is opened and closed, the rotation of the cam being substantially in time with the vibratory movements of the electrode 0. As a matter of fact, however, the operation of the electrode 0 is slightly in advance of the interruption of the circuit by the cam. Between this inte' rupter and the spark-plug is located an in duction coil 8 provided with a vibrator t, the interrupter being connected to the primary winding 01. the coil, and from thence by line 7) with the line i. The secondary winding of the coil 3 is also connected with the lined by the wire u, the other terminal of the secondary being connected by the continuation of the line p with the spark-plug, a

i spark-gap nbcing located between the coil 8 and the plug. In the latter, a wire w is in 3 sorted and in the cylinder another wire- :c, the iextremities of these two names being contiguous one to another as shown, both being provided with the usual platinum points.

By following the course of the various circuits just described, it will be seen that with the switch lever m in the position in which it is shown in the drawings, there will be produced on the plug 5 one spark by means of the operation of the electrode 0-, and a second spark between the terminals of the wires to and :r, the latter being a jump-spark and being produced by the interruption of the line p through the coil 8 by the rotation of the cam r. This. cam isdesigned' to be carried by any suitable shaft of the en ine and is so timed in its rotation as to to low the action of the cam (1 whereby the contactspark is operated a little in advance of the jump-spark. I hen it is desired to cut out the jump-spark, using the electrode alone, the switch-lever m will be thrown to the right swin ing on the post y and will bridgethe space etween said post and the post 2, thereby cutting out the line 19 and cutting in the lever to the left Will cut outthe line n and -render the contact-sparking devices inoperative and cut in the line p.

' It is seen from the foregoing description 7 that this construction is so arranged that so; either the contact-spark or the jump-spark ay be used separately, or that both of them may be used together; in the latter case, however, the contact-spark, as already stated, is-operated a little in advance of the jump-spark. r 1 It is to be understood that the devices shown herein are illustrated in a conventional and diagrammatic-form, and their arrangement may be varied without causing 40 any change in the operation of the device.

I claim: 1. In an internal combustion engine. a

line '1. Similar movement of thecontact-sparking device, and a jump sparkdevice, and one spark-plug in the cylinder constituting the common terminal for said sparking devices, and means to operate said two devices either singly or in substantial unison.

2. f In an internal combustion engine, electric igniter comprising a jump-spark vice and a contact-sparking device each being comprised in a suitable electrical circuit, means to make and "break each of said circuits periodically, either separately or. in substantial unison.

3. The combination with the cylinders of" an internalcombustion engine of a sparkplug located in the Wall thereof in the usual manner; an electrode, and devices to reciprocally move the same against and away from the plug, an electric, circuit comprising a source of electricity, and a suitable sparkcoil, said plug and electrode constituting the terminals-of said circuit, together with a second circuit comprising an induction coil, and a source of electricity, and an interrupter in said second circuit to make and break the latter, said spark-plug constituting one terminal of said second circuit, the opposite end of the circuit being grounded on the cylinder.

4. The combination in an internal com-' an 7 debustion engine, of two sparking devices included in circuits carrying primary and .secondary currents respectively, and means to actuate said devices substantially at the same time, or separately.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. R. GREUTER.

witnesses O. R. MoNoF-Am, FRANK L. LESCAU'LT. 

